The Republic of Tuva (the capital is the city of Kyzyl) is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. It is part of the Siberian Federal District. This region has a significant tourist potential, which, unfortunately, is still little used. This article is intended to shed light on Tuva sights unfamiliar to the general public. They are mostly natural. The whole region is located in the picturesque region of the Western Sayan. So in the Republic of Tuva there are snow-capped peaks with eternal glaciers, and tundra, and taiga, as well as steppes and even semi-deserts. In terms of tourism, the region is also interesting in that, due to its geographical isolation, the national color and ancient traditions of the nomads have remained intact. And the local beliefs of Tuvans - an interesting mix of Buddhism and pagan shamanism - put on a stupor of religious scholars. People come here in search of Asian spirituality, enjoy the beauty of the mountains and improve their health in local healing springs.
Tuva or Tuva?
Many tourists are confused by this double name. Maybe we are talking about two different republics? No, about the same. Just the sound in the subject’s name is a cross between the letters “y” and “s”. In tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, the first pronunciation was practiced. But in 1993 a new constitution of this subject of the Federation was adopted. According to her, he became known as the Republic of Tuva. Tuva (the capital of Kyzyl) has not disappeared from the maps of our country. According to the current Constitution, both names are equivalent. The official name of the subject of the Russian Federation is Tuva (Republic). Its area is 168 604 square kilometers. On such an impressive territory, a fairly small number of people live. According to the latest data (2015), the population of Tyva is only 313,780 people.
History of the region
The lands of the modern republic were inhabited in the first millennium BC. Archaeologists find traces of the presence of Indo-European nomads, then Turkic tribes penetrate here. In the IV — III centuries BC e. here comes the first state formation, extending west of Lake Baikal. Chinese annals call it "Dinlin-go." The medieval history of Tuva is full of bloody events. In the VIII century there was an independent principality, ruled by a bek, who claimed the Khan's title. A hundred years later, a khanate of the Yenisei Kyrgyz had already appeared on the territory of Tuva. This steppe empire stretched from East Turkestan to the Amur and Irtysh. The kaganate lasted until the 13th century, and then became part of the Great Mongol Empire of Temujin (Genghis Khan). The territory of Tuva alternately became part of various khanates (Northern Yuan, Khotogoytsky, Dzhungarsky), until in 1758 it was captured by China (Qing Dynasty).
Tuva Republic: History
Sights left over from previous eras are few. These are mainly mounds, the finds of which replenished the collection of the archaeological museum in Kyzyl. When the Mongolian national revolution took place in 1911, some Tuvan princes asked Nicholas II to take their land under the Russian protectorate. In April 1914, this neoplasm became known as Uryanhay cream. Then, at the confluence of the Greater and Lesser Yenisei, the construction of the village of Belotsarsk began. Under Soviet rule, it was renamed to Krasnozarsk, and later to Kyzyl. In 1921, the independent republic of Tannu-Tuva was proclaimed. In 1932, under pressure from the USSR, some Mongol lands were transferred to it. And in August 1944, the Small Khural of the Turin People's Republic decided to join the state entity to the USSR and to join the RSFSR as an autonomous region.
Where is
Where is the Republic of Tuva located? The capital of the region, the city of Kyzyl, is located only 20 kilometers west of the geographical center of Asia. In the south, Tuva borders on Mongolia, and on the other three sides - with such subjects of the Russian Federation as Buryatia, Khakassia, Altai, Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk Region. The territory of the Republic is thus located in Eastern Siberia, in the very south of our country. Eighty percent of its land is mountains. The heights of the Sayan peaks range from two to three kilometers above sea level. Altai mountains rise in the west of the region . The highest points of the Republic are concentrated here: Mongun-Taiga (3976 m), Ak-Oyuk and Mongulek. In the Sayan Mountains, in the headwaters of the Greater Yenisei, there is a plateau from the Derby-Taiga basalt, where there are sixteen extinct volcanoes.
How to get there
By train you will not get to the original edge of Tuva. The Tuvan Republic knows only air, bus and river traffic. The nearest train station is 44 kilometers from Kyzyl - in the city of Abakan. The small airport of the capital of the Republic accepts only a few flights. Pilatus planes daily fly from Krasnoyarsk. Three times a week in the summer, you can get to Kyzyl from Novosibirsk. Bus service is established to Irkutsk and Tomsk. From the end of April until ice-breaking along the Great Yenisei, a motor ship runs from Kyzyl to the village of Toora-Khem. Helicopters deliver to inaccessible places of tourists.
Climate
The Republic of Tuva is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Its capital is in the hollow. Such a geographical location leads to a sharply continental climate. Here, frosty (in the basin with little snow) winter and very hot, but rainy summers. The temperature in January is usually 30 ° C (there are frosts up to 40 degrees). In July, the thermometer shows +25 ... +35 ° C. In the basin, the summers are dry - only 200 mm of precipitation per year, while on the slopes of the mountains they fall to a thousand millimeters. The most favorable time for visiting the republic for tourism is May and September. Then comfortable temperatures prevail here, the risk of falling under heavy rain decreases.
The capital of the Republic of Tuva is Kyzyl
The view of the city, standing at the confluence of two rivers, Biy-Khem and Kaa-Khem (Big and Small Yeniseyev), is simply amazing. Mountains rise in the background, and this primitive beauty transforms the panel houses of the Soviet buildings of the Khrushchev period. You will not find any antiquities in Kyzyl - after all, the city was barely a hundred years old. But an attentive tourist can still find the local flavor in this Soviet depersonalization. Especially it began to appear in recent years. These are raised “Chinese” roof corners, a stadium in the shape of a giant yurt. Kyzyl is able to surprise a visiting tourist and even plunge him into cultural shock. So, on the mountain of Lenin, the mantra “Om-mane-padme-hum” is laid out from stones, calling for the city of the Dalai Lama. And if you visit the museum, you will learn the Tuvan version of the origin of the species Homosapiens. There, under the effigy of the clubfoot owner of the forest, the following inscription appears: "The bear is the ancestor of people."
Where to settle and what to see
Only four hotels operate in Kyzyl. The largest is the Buyan-Badyrgy hotel complex. Lovers of small family-type hotels will find a cozy “Cottage”. Begin to get acquainted with the city should be from Arat Square. It houses the Drama Theater and Government House. The Republic of Tuva, whose capital is striking in its exoticism, clearly prefers muses over officialdom. The temple of art looks much more impressive than the Government House. But the main attraction of the square is the prayer drum. It contains more than a million mantras. One turn of the drum cleanses the soul better than Lent - this is what the locals say. It is worth a look at the local temples. In the most visited Buddhist shrine - datsan Cechenling - they study the philosophy of Enlightenment, practice meditation and yoga, and pray. Shamanism in Tuva is also an honor. There are several centers in which you can go through the rite of purification or find out the future.
Events
Most tourists come to Kyzyl in transit - on the way to healing springs and mud lakes. But there are dates on the calendar when you should definitely visit the Republic of Tuva. Firstly, it's the New Year. It is celebrated here according to the lunar calendar (end of January or beginning of February). Everywhere are games, races, sports competitions "Huresh". In these battles, one-on-one men fight. In August, when shepherds descend from the mountains, the traditional festival of Naadim takes place. Tuva Republic Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of September. Literally all the holidays are accompanied by races, the struggle of the heroes “Khuresh” and archery. During the performance of local groups you can hear throat singing. This is another attraction in the culture of the Tuvan people.